The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) generated over N11 billion from the zones between 1999 and 2008.
Managing Director of NEPZA, Sina Agboluaja said in Abuja, at the First Annual Anti-Money Laundering and Cyber Security Coalition (AMLCSC) summit that the Nigeria Customs Service also collected N1.6 billion as duties in the 23 free zones within the period.Agboluaja who was represented at the summit by the Authority’s General Manager, Taiwo Famidile, Observed that regulatory authorities in the free zones, especially the non-oil and oil free zones in the past engaged in the duplication of functions.
In his words, “the establishment of two separate authorities to regulate and manage the oil and non-oil free zones resulted in a rivalry and confusion due to overlapping functions and contol issues.”
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, according to him, in a move to solve the problem astablished a presidential committee to streamline the application of Free Trade Zones and Export Processing Zones, but, “the net effect of this is that over 70 per cent of the time was spent on meetings aimed at resolving these issues and confusion.”
In another development, the First Bank and Oceanic Bank, have set aside N10 billion for distribution to farmers in Sokoto State as loan at nine per cent interest, the state Governor, Aliyu Wamakho has said.
Speaking at the launching of the sale of fertilizers and other farming in puts for 2009 farming season, Wamakho said that since the banks have earmarked the money for farmers in the state, his government was willing to guarantee the loans.
The governor, who did not elaborate further on the loans said that the state government bought 14,000 metric tones worth of fertilizers at N1.7 billion to be distributed to the farmers.
He said each bag of NPK fertilizer costs N6,400, but directed that it be sold at N1,700. Similarly, each bag of urea was bought at N5,900 and would be sold to farmers at N1,800.
